What I was listening to was a lecture on Ski Retail Shop Management by Chuck Greenidge, PhD, the industry’s acknowledged authority on this esoteric corner of the business world. The previous day I had learned about SKU and COGS among other acronyms.* Greenidge was giving this lecture for the nth time at the Seventh Annual Skiing Mechanics and Managers Workshops in Enfield, Conn. Actually this was an update on some of his classes given in years past and despite the obvious repetition of material he managed to maintain enthusiasm and fervor throughout.
Obviously, as a non-retailer I was handicapped by the language barrier, but I asked some of my more learned classmates how they were fairing. “Greenidge’s job is to present as much as he can as quickly as possible,” said one. “You pick out what is valuable to your operation.” Another said, “These guys are experts with more information to deliver than there is time for, or than most of the people can absorb.”
I felt comforted that my bewilderment was shared by others in this passage through a foreign land.
Greenidge was one of seven experts teaching a variety of subjects related to the ski shop operation. Carl Ettlinger covered bindings from history through theory, trouble shooting, new developments and business practices. Jim Shaw talked about running rental and repair facilities from tools to final inspection of work. Doug Killham’s topic was boot fitting, beginning and advanced. Fred Pieren spoke about ski tuning and John Perryman covered litigation. Sven Wiik presented all you need to know to run a basic cross country shop. While Greenidge went through retail shop management from defining the market, how to merchandise, control inventory, prepare displays and promotion, deal with staff, plan for the season and make money.
Individual lectures ran from one to three hours with many overlapping courses necessitating some hard choices where individuals were interested in several courses. In fact one of the most-often heard complaints was voiced by Dave Brautigam of the Skihaus in Middlebury, VT. “I wish I could take all these courses, but there are too many running on the same day.” Most ski shops were represented by more than one employee, so one way or another almost every course could be covered.
This year is the eighth season for the Skiing Mechanics and Managers Workshops and according to Jerry Simon, director of the workshops, more than 12,000 people have been trained in the one-to-three day courses and another 2,000 are expected to enroll this fall.
Starting as a one-day program on binding compatibility with binding manufacturer’s representatives giving presentations, the Workshops have obviously come a long way. (Measured another way, the price has gone from $50 for one day to $175 for three days or $75 for a single day.) And, although new courses and course content are added each year — this fall experts will lecture on soft goods and personnel — boot fitting and ski tuning still draw the biggest crowds. This year an extra two days are tacked on at no extra cost to the formal presentation of classes for binding and boot manufacturers to give technical instruction about their products.
In addition to a sheaf of notes, attendees leave with a “Certificate of Participation,” a workbook with about two inches worth of reading (an extra $10 charge) and lecture outlines and articles (another charge of $5). Students leave feeling fired up about their work and the business they’re in, even though their brains might be fatigued from three to five days of intensive listening and thinking.
Typically the Workshops are held in hotel-conference centers that are accessible to a number of ski shops. Beginning at 9 a.m. and going through 5 p.m. or later, class sessions and organizational meetings allow little time for anything except eating and sleeping. I sampled most of the classes and found that lecturers ranged in showmanship from multi-media slide talks to stand-up comedians to low-key drone. Regardless of delivery, content was available. “I’ve gone to every one of thses workshops,” said Walt Janeczko of Ski Haus, Inc., Little Silver, N.J. “They can’t teach me much anymore, but I pick brains. Lots of guys here have good ideas. I learn from the lecturers, but also from other shops..”
The Mechanics and Managers Workshops are the oldest, but not the most specialized training courses offered in the ski industry today. The box on this page outlines a number of other training programs available for people in a wide range of jobs. Each year the list grows longer and training improves in depth and scope. This more than any other phenomenon is a sign of the maturing and professionalizing of the ski industry.
* ROI: Return on Investment. RONW: Return on New Worth. ROA: Return on Assets. SKU: Stock Keeping Unit. COGS: Cost of Goods Sold.
Training for Ski Area Personnel
Training for Ski Lift Personnel
Lift Maintenance School. Five days of lectures and hands-on experience in trouble-shooting lift repairs and problems. Given twice a year in East and West locations in the Spring for all lift workers in a region. Cost is usually about $100 with 50 to 75 people attending.
Contact: Aerial Engineering Co., 15501 Lantern Lane, Spokane, WA. 99208.
Lift Operation and Attendant Program. State and regional associations of ski areas sponsor a day of talks by engineers, lawyers, and insurance experts for people working on lifts. 21 minute film, “Authorized Personnel Only” is shown. About 15 sessions are held each fall. Free.
Contact: Kendall Insurance, 90 South Main St., Rochester, N.H. 03867
Risk Management Seminars. Dave Cleary, special projects counsel for Kendall Insurance, speaks to personnel of insured areas all over the country. Sessions may be one-half to a full day and include other speakers plus the film “It’s a Matter of Decision.” Free.
Contact: Kendall Insurance, 90 South Main St., Rochester, N.H. 03867
Ski Area Safety Seminar. One-day regional seminars for middle management personnel covering engineering safety, reporting and analysis of accidents and employee attitudes. Speakers include an attorney, claims people, an engineer, a personnel specialist and a local insurance broker. Five sessions per year in major cities. Free to clients.
Contact: Kendall Insurance, 90 South Main St., Rochester, N.H. 03867
Customer Relations Workshops. A personnel specialist lectures employees of client areas about dealing effectively with customers. Two-hour sessions given at 60 resorts throughout the winter. Free to clients.
Contact: Pettit-Morry Co., P.O. Box C 19107, Seattle, WA. 98109.
Rocky Mountain Lift Association Spring Conference. Area managers and supervisory personnel from all over the country get training from supplier experts and instructors from the University of Colorado, Colorado School of Mines and other technical schools. About 250 people attend more than 20 different classes— some running simultaneously — given during all-day sessions. In 1980, Conference will be held during the week of May 18. Site and price to be announced.
Includes trade show.
Contact: Georgia Lodders, Colorado Ski Country U.S.A., 1410 Grant St., Suite A #201, Denver, Co. 80203.
Training Program for Ski Lift Operators. This is a kit to aid ski area managers in training lift attendants and operators. Area’s trainers attend two-day seminar to learn how to conduct programs. Kits include 60-page workbooks, tests, instructor’s guides, certificates of completions. Price is $280 for material for 20 people, $650 for material for 40 people plus a slide program.
Contact: Chris Stoddard, P.O. Box 1406, Sun Valley, Id. 83353.
Training for Ski Shop Personnel
Ski Industry Technical Seminars. Between July and November, Fred Schwacke holds 21 three-day seminars for ski shop mechanics concerned with boot fitting. Enrollment is limited, 25 to 30 permitting attendees to perform boot-fitting procedures. There are guest lecturers. Cost is $180.00 per person preregistered, $225 at door.
Contact: Ski Industry Technical Seminar, Drawer E, Bondville, Vt. 05340.
Biomechanic Orthotic Ski Boot Fitting Seminar. Five one-day seminars are held in Boston, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco and Seattle during August for ski shop boot fitters. Topics covered include finding the right boot to fit, identifing common foot problems and using corrective remedies. Classes limited to 30 people. Fee is $175 per person, plus $20 per shop.
The Skiing Mechanics Workshops. Held at six sites– Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, Detroit, Enfield (CT) and Saddlebrook (NJ) – these three-day sessons cover basic shop mechanics, ski tuning, boot fitting and cross country ski service. Sessions are held in October and November. Fees are $175, plus $20 per shop.
Skiing Mechanics and Managers Workshops. These sessions held in eight cities — Baltimore, Boston, Toronto, Chicago, Calgary, Boulder, Seattle and San Francisco –include the topics covered in the mechanic-only workshop, plus classes dealing with management, liability and binding safety. Beyond the three day class sessions, seven binding and six boot manufacturers will give workshops on their equipment service. Courses are held from September to October. Fees are $175 per person, plus $20 per shop.
Contact: Jerry Simon Associates, Inc., Ruppert Towers, Suite 201, 1616 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10028.
Purgatory Sports Skiing Workshop. Directed specifically at rental shop operations, most sessions — storing and distributing equipment, shop layout and traffic flow, reservation systems, advertising and promotional programs — are moderated by rental shop employees working in the region. The idea is to encourage the exchange of ideas, rather than to give straight lectures. Experts are called in for sessions on liability, personnel management and accounting methods. This year the dates are October 24 through 27, price is $175 including all fees and materials, four nights lodging and lunches. Binging certification clinics are held simultaneously.
Contact: Purgatory Sports Skiing Workshop, P.O. Box 666, Durango, CO. 81301.
